Birthdays bouncing and bubbles

Just a catch-uppy list really

J and I put F's trampoline up the Friday before her party - it turned out to be quite easy once we'd done each stage the wrong way once. Seriously bad instructions though, things like 'disconnect is difficult so put it slowly one by one'. Okaaay... (and that's why you never translate professionally into a language other than your native language).

Her birthday party was lovely - a few 'maybe's turned into 'definite's at the last minute, so it was a proper party with 13 kids of various ages, some neighbours, some home-ed, some old friends, etc. A lovely sunny day, kids did loads of bouncing on trampoline, we also had beach balls to play around with and I did a treasure hunt with hiding and hunting teams each time. Made F a cake with sliced strawberries pressed into the icing all over the top, it was very sweet and a bit biscuity, but seemed popular enough with most. C from over road was a bit tricky and started 'helping' by opening F's prezzies before it was time! Grrr. So then F was kind of pushed into opening them and I never got to see most of that. Still, never mind, it was a lovely day, ending with F's invented soda float drink for the last few guests - think she called it something like 'Rainbow Dash fizzy surprise' - and then with bubbles with the big bubble wand. Birthday party pictures are here.

In the evening of that same day, I took F out to Proms in the Paddock. Didn't intend to go in, but she wanted to once she saw it, so we went in and K and C's girls appeared and shepherded us up the slope to sit with them. It was a great evening, another really special thing for F to remember I hope. I had a glow ball light with me, which was pretty after the sun went down. The band played Happy Birthday (to a local community figure) and we sang it to F. It finished with the 1812 and fireworks, which were excellent. Very atmospheric and nice to share it with friends too - F asked me to write 'music + friends' in her diary.

Other things:
J had a few days off around F's birthday so we also went to Legoland on the Tuesday, where we went on the River Splash ride for first (and second) time, also on the log flume, it was a nice hot day and perfect for splashy rides. Loved it. Also went on The Dragon again - last time we thought it was The Dragon's Apprentice that we'd been on, but it turned out it was The Dragon. Great fun and J's head didn't get chopped off by the low roof bit, as feared.

J's mum came and gave F a Ponyville prezzie in addition to the ones my mum had given her, so she now has a fine Ponyville village and lots of tiny ponies to go disco-dancing and such!
J's dad came and treated us to pizza out.

Also we have done experiments from an Explosive Experiments kit that J got for F for her birthday, which have been fun (thought not actually explosive, perhaps 'interestingly reactive' would be more honest, but might not sell so well? Anyway they're enjoyable things with oil and water, vinegar, salt, food colouring and some 'proper chemicals' too. She got some other lovely kit-type prezzies which we're looking forward to investigating.

Went to E's birthday party 'up the hill' and had a nice time. F was 'very tricky' on the scale of trickiness before the party and briefly at the party, but she had a nice time and I enjoyed chatting with people and watching the kids play.

J is now working 4 days a week, to allow him more time with F or all of us to have more time together, or me to do some work uninterrupted, or me to have some time to myself, variously as the weeks go by. In effect, he has a 3-day weekend and 4-day week, and so far we're all liking it very much!

Last but not least - reading news - F can read. She isn't yet exactly picking up a book and going off to read it for pleasure, but she has read quite a lot of the Magic Key books, which seem to be a good mix of simple vocabulary but actual (if brief) adventure content too.

Other than all that, it's been playing Wii, watching DVDs, me working (lots of work available and had to say 'no' to a few jobs), not enough sleep, horrid summer colds all round, but mainly nice times with the odd fairly hellish strop that I've still not worked out how to deal with.